A Pleasant Surprise At The Copa: Singer Melanie

NAMES & FACES - Glitter

Most of the 400 guests who arrived Saturday night at the ballroom in the Marriott's Orlando World Center probably were expecting a little cha-cha.

The event, after all, was billed as ''An Evening at the Copa,'' a masque ball and silent auction fund-raiser for the Civic Theatre of Central Florida to benefit its Theatre for Young People.

But the cocktail hour produced a different kind of entertainment: folk singer Melanie.

Now you might be asking, what do Melanie and the Copacabana have in common?

Well, I'm still not sure, but the effect was about as jarring as going to a Guns N' Roses concert and getting Barry Manilow as the opening act.

There she was - Melanie - in retro regalia and suede boots belting out ''Brand New Key'' to a group of tuxedoed men and evening-gowned women clutching glasses of white wine and cocktails.

And even though members of the crowd exhibited an air of befuddlement as her show began, the Woodstock waif won them over.

Along with an accompanying pianist, Melanie strummed her battered guitar and sang during the cocktail hour of the classy event, which drew about 400 people who each paid $125.

Also known for her hits ''Look What They've Done to My Song Ma'' and ''Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)'' from the 1960s, a beaming Melanie sang to the crowd in a still-strong, full-throated voice. By the end of the six-song set, some of the crowd was humming along with her.

Then it was on to the Copacabana-decorated dining room where the Michael Andrew Orchestra and the Copacabana Girls performed such standards as ''Blue Moon'' and ''The Girl from Ipanema'' while guests danced and dined on Scallop Ceviche on a bed of bibb lettuce, couscous with diced tomatoes, roasted lamb, red snapper and a dessert of mango mousse.